Falmouth Public Schools, ME

Falmouth Public Schools, ME Saves Countless Hours By Utilizing Transfinder Solutions for the District

Falmouth Public Schools, ME

Situation

In 2008 Phil Dobson came on board as Assistant to the Transportation Director for the District.  At that time the State was in the process of negotiating a contract with Transfinder to offer its software suite at no cost to the schools, and with no annual maintenance fees due to the company, which was finalized in 2009.  In 2007 however, the district had purchased Routefinder Pro and Infofinder le, but they were not being used to their potential, so Phil was able to take advantage of the new contract to get them up and running.  

Phil brought with him experience working in the private sector for a transportation contractor and also working for another district using a competitive routing solution, so was familiar with using routing software.  Having familiarity with previous software helped Phil be able to jump in.  He began with the Mytransfinder client portal and started watching pre-recorded webinars to learn many of the beginning tasks he would have to undertake to properly use the software.  Over time, and with the help of the many resources available to him, including technical support, Phil was able to get the system fully functional. 

Benefits

The district was now using the software it had purchased in 2007, but no longer paying annual maintenance fees, which was a savings of $4,400 each year.  They also took advantage of acquiring the Servicefinder software for vehicle preventative maintenance at no cost, nor having to pay its annual fee of $1,000.  Using the software solution has given Phil a clearer picture of his entire operation.  In addition, he is able to incorporate driver input, and experience on their run, to fine tune information in the program.   Phil prints drivers run sheets, so they know exactly the path he wants them to take, and can communicate accurate information to parents with approximate times the buses will be arriving.  

However, its use as an organizational tool, housing all of the information relating to transportation, and which other personnel throughout the district can use, saves countless hours.  The time saved, so Phil can focus on other elements of his job has been a money saver for the district.  This ensures quality of work, because resources are not spread thin, and it allows him to get the work done without having to hire additional personnel. 

Although Transfinder offers online and onsite training with an in-house applications specialist, Phil has found it to be beneficial that he was able to self-teach, and pick up many tricks to the system, which he can pass on to others who are learning.  In addition, when he has needed assistance and reached out to the technical support for help they answer willingly, and fully prepared to show him how to achieve what he’s looking for.  Phil has found one of our Technical support persons in particular to be so helpful that he states, “If there was ever a standard for technical support people in the world he should be it”.